Minneapolis Community Reels as Witness Breaks Silence on Fatal ICE Shooting
While Minneapolis continues to grapple with the shock of another resident being shot by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents within a single month, Stella Carlson has emerged from the shadows to share her traumatic experience. The woman who witnessed 37-year-old Alex Pretti being fatally shot has spoken publicly for the first time, offering a chilling first-hand account that challenges official narratives.
From Community Service to Crime Scene Witness
For Carlson, what began as a normal Saturday morning painting children's faces at her local church transformed into one of the most daunting experiences of her life. As an active community member who had recently been learning about mutual aid and participating in grassroots efforts to warn neighbors about federal immigration actions, Carlson found herself thrust into the center of a violent confrontation.
"I know every time I leave my vehicle or leave my house and I put that whistle around my neck, I know because of Renee Good, the risk," Carlson told CNN's Anderson Cooper during her Tuesday interview. "I think we all knew after that happened, it is now at that point, and it could be any of us."
The Fateful Morning on Nicollet Avenue
Carlson was on her way to work, wearing what has become an infamous pink jacket, when she heard the sound of whistles signaling danger. Driving down Nicollet Avenue, she encountered a chaotic scene: a brawl in the street and Alex Pretti directing traffic amidst the confusion.
"It felt like somebody in my opinion, in my background, who was doing a risk assessment and found his place in this moment to be useful," she said of Pretti's actions.
Carlson immediately exited her vehicle and began recording what would become one of the most crucial pieces of footage from the incident. Her video directly contradicts claims made by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem that Pretti brandished his legally carried concealed pistol at agents.
Contradictory Evidence and a Fatal Outcome
The footage captured by Carlson shows a different reality: Pretti helping a woman who had been knocked down, followed by an officer removing Pretti's handgun from its holster just before he was pinned down and shot multiple times.
Carlson shared her observations of Pretti's demeanor during the incident, noting he "was calm, handling it with grace and consistency and definitely without fret."
When describing the fatal moment, Carlson's voice carried the weight of trauma: "I watched him die, I remember him arching his back and his head rolling back." She characterized the incident as "fast-moving" but not from her perspective, as she witnessed officers "scatter and save themselves" after the shooting.
"I knew he was gone because I watched it," Carlson stated. "And then they come over to try to perform some type of medical aid by ripping his clothes open with scissors, and then manoeuvring his body around like a rag doll, only to discover that it could be because they wanted to count the bullet wounds to see how many they got, like he's a deer."
Community Support as a Catalyst for Courage
Carlson revealed that she likely would not have remained at the scene as long as she did without the support system her community had built over recent weeks. "If it wasn't for the collective actions over the past three weeks, I don't know if I would have been able to stay that long," she confessed.
"But I knew that this was a moment, and we all have to be brave and we all have to take risks, and we're all going to be given moments to make that decision," Carlson added, emphasizing the collective responsibility she felt.
She expressed gratitude both to herself and to those who supported her afterward, ensuring she could reach safety and upload the crucial video to appropriate channels.
Political Repercussions and Broader Context
The video captured by Carlson and the subsequent public outrage created significant political pressure on the Trump administration. This led to several consequential developments:
- The White House withdrew Gregory Bovino, the Border Patrol officer overseeing federal immigration operations in Minneapolis
- First Lady Melania Trump issued a call for "peaceful protests"
- President Donald Trump claimed he would seek to "de-escalate" the situation in Minneapolis
This incident follows the earlier death of 37-year-old mother of three Renee Nicole Good, who was fatally shot by an ICE agent in her car, as well as the detainment of young children by agency officials. Together, these events have created a climate of fear and tension within Minneapolis immigrant communities.
Carlson's courageous decision to document and speak about the Pretti shooting has provided crucial evidence in a case that highlights ongoing tensions between immigration enforcement practices and community safety concerns. Her account offers not just factual contradictions to official statements, but a human perspective on the trauma experienced by witnesses to such violent encounters.
